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Legends of the Dark Knight
| number = 19 | image = File:Legends.jpg | imagewidth = 250 | airdate = October 10, 1998 | director = Dan Riba | writer = Robert Goodman | story = Robert Goodman Bruce Timm | teleplay = | music = Shirley Walker | previous1 = Old Wounds | next1 = Girl's Night Out | previous2 = The Demon Within | next2 = Girl's Night Out }} :"Hey! Who's talking about Batman? I love Batman. All those muscles, the tight rubber armor and that flashy car. I heard it can drive up walls." ::- Joel Legends of the Dark Knight is an episode of The New Batman Adventures. It is notable for being different from the rest of the episodes of the show, as it features three minor characters as the protagonists telling different stories of Batman. These stories reflect different eras of the Batman mythos from the comics and it was produced as a homage to comic creators Dick Sprang, Bill Finger and Frank Miller. "Legends of the Dark Knight" is the 19th episode produced and aired of "TNBA". Plot An arsonist is spreading chaos and fire in Gotham City, and the Gotham Gazette managed to take a picture of the criminal fleeing one of the crime scenes and used the image for their main headline. Three young kids watch the image and assume the obscured flying image is actually Batman, which makes them excited to share their stories of the Dark Knight. The kid called Nick explains how he believes Batman is more than a man. In his mind, Batman is a supernatural creature, with wings and fangs, who preys on the evil-doers and punishes them without mercy. However, his vision is not taken seriously by his friends, Matt and Carrie. During the conversation, Matt explains that his uncle knows Batman and he proceeds to tell them the story. Matt's uncle was a security guard in a music store, which sold oversized musical instruments among the regular ones. Certain night, the Joker broke into the place with a couple of henchmen and they knocked Matt's uncle unconscious. The Joker intended to steal valuable items, but Batman and Robin showed up in time to confront the Joker and his henchmen. Although the Dynamic Duo had the upper hand for most of the confrontation, the Joker and his thugs eventually managed to overcome the heroes, tied them up and pushed them inside a massive piano as to be crushed when Joker started smashing the keys. Joker believed himself victorious, but Batman and Robin managed to escape the deadly trap and stopped Joker and his thugs. Once the Joker was stopped, Matt's uncle recovered and he thanked the heroes for their assistance. The story sounds corny to Carrie and Nick, but Matt explains that is simply the way that his uncle tells the story. As they walk across the sidewalk, the kids come across Joel, a friend of them who is enchanted by the idea of Batman, his rubber outfit and the flashy vehicle he uses. The three friends ignore Joel and go inside one of the places burned by Firefly. Once there, Carrie tells her friends that Batman is in fact a 50 year old man, hulking with muscles and that Robin is a girl. According to Carrie, Batman is a brutal avenger, assisted by a young female Robin. Together, they seek to end the threat of the mutants, a rogue faction of thugs who want to vandalize Gotham. The mutants' hideout is located in a barren wasteland and they have all gathered to plan the invasion of Gotham and the defeat of Batman. However, Batman and Robin have come to meet them in a massive tank, armed with rubber bullets that they use to take down most of the mutant army. Robin goes out and confronts the mutants using nothing but her slingshot while Batman confronts the mutant leader. The fight between the Dark Knight and the mutant leader is brutal and it only end once the Dark Knight has established a clear dominance over the mutant leader and his followers. Matt and Nick find Carrie's version of Batman awesome, but it's getting late and they have to go back to their homes. As they leave the place, they spot a flying figure in the sky and they assume that it's Batman. They follow the figure to an abandoned theater and they sneak into the place to catch a glimpse of Batman. However, they realize they were mistaken and they have followed Firefly to his hideout. Matt tries to use his flashlight with a bat-sticker on it to summon Batman, but the flashlight runs out of batteries. Firefly becomes aware of the kids' presence and he decides to burn the whole place down with the kids inside as he escapes. However, Batman arrives in time to stop him and the kids are amazed to see the real Batman in action. Matt is fascinated with Batman's gadgets and Carrie is delighted by Batman's fighting abilities. Batman eventually defeats Firefly and allows the kids to escape, before taking the criminal with him. Nick is shocked at the sight of Batman rising towards the sky, taking Firefly with him through the fire and the flames, like a supernatural beast. The experience has left the kids amazed and their respective visions of Batman has only been reinforced, even though they just saw that the Dark Knight is nothing like their individual visions, but rather all of them combined. Cast Notes & Trivia * The plot of this episode is similar to the story called "The Batman Nobody Knows!" from Batman #250, as three kids tell diferent stories about Batman. * Matt's tale is a homage to the Batman comics of the 1950s and 1960s. Specifically, Detective Comics #91 and World's Finest #48; in which Batman and Robin confront the Joker in music stores and oversized musical instruments. The tale's ending with Batman and Robin shaking hands, and the former calling Robin "old chum" are references to the 1966 Batman television series. * Carrie's tale is a homage to the Frank Miller graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. * This is one of the few episodes of the show that was not used as a cutscene in the videogame Batman: Gotham City Racer. * The episode has been released as part of the following Home video sets: :* Batman: The Animated Series, Volume Four :* Batman: The Complete Animated Series :* Best of Batman :* Batman: Gotham Knight :* Best of Warner Bros. 25 Cartoon Collection: DC Comics Gallery LDK 01 - Kids.jpg LDK 02 - Joker.jpg LDK 03 - Joker.jpg LDK 04 - Batman and Robin.jpg LDk 05 - Dynamic Duo.jpg LDK 06 - Confrontation.jpg LDK 07 - Trap.jpg LDk 08 - Duo.jpg LDK 09 - Robin.jpg LDk 10 - Batman.jpg LDK 11 - Captured.jpg LDK 12 - Well done.jpg LDK 13 - Old Chum.jpg LDK 14 - Joel.jpg LDk 15 - Carrie Kelley.jpg LDK 16 - Dark Knight.jpg LDK 17 - Mutant Leader.jpg LDK 18 - BatTank.jpg LDk 19 - Robin.jpg LDK 20 - Battle.jpg LDK 21 - Dark Knight.jpg LDK 22 - Dark Knight.jpg LDK 23 - Batman vs Mutant.jpg LDK 24 - Mudman.jpg LDK 25 - Operating table.jpg LDK 26 - Batman.jpg LDK 27 - Carrie Robin.jpg LDK 28 - Firefly.jpg LDK 29 - Batman.jpg LDK 30 - Kids.jpg LDK 31 - The End.jpg Production Images 50s Batman James Tucker Storyboard.jpg|50s Batman Storyboard by James Tucker 50s Batman and Robin Storyboard.jpg Legends of the Dark Knight Darwyn Cooke.jpg|Storyboard by Darwyn Cooke Dark Knight Returns Storyboard.jpg|Storyboard by Darwyn Cooke Batman and Carrie Kelley Design.jpg|Character Designs by Bruce Timm Category:Episodes Category:Directed by Dan Riba Category:Soundtrack by Shirley Walker Category:Multiple Villains Episodes